Nitrocellulose (aka "guncotton") was first used as a fiber for shirts that would not need ironing, before it was discovered to be unsafe near open flames.

In a related fact--a coworker in his college chemistry lab had a fellow student accidentally spill tincture of iodine on his shirt. The TA suggested using ammonia to get it out. It worked...sort of. While the shirt was hanging up to dry, the stained area exploded. (Amonium Iodide is a rather unstable explosive).

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info